In 1954, George E. White and Harry Aleson lacked a boat, but not the determination, for running the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. They decided to not let a small problem like that stop them, and so they strapped on their life jackets and floated the lower canyons without a boat. Two years later, they were able to buy a military surplus raft and run the river that way.
Floating a river with only a life jacket is certainly one way to get an intimate feel of the river's currents, but it's difficult to carry gear and the idea doesn't appeal to everyone. Fortunately, big black neoprene rafts of the U.S. Navy became available as surplus after World War II. These rafts were extremely heavy and bulky to maneuver, but were also exceptionally tough and forgiving on the big volume, rocky rivers of the west.
The military assault rafts of World War II were still used occasionally on rivers. They were made in seven-man and ten-man sizes and were constructed of neoprene-canvas. A surplus raft design featured a pointed, slightly raised bow and a flat, truncated stern. The main tubes were small, only about 15 inches, but their protruding spray shields worked fairly well in keeping water out of the raft.
The surplus rafts of World War II sufficed as river boats for some time, but commercial outfitters getting into the rafting business decided that they needed a raft with a slightly larger payload than that of the ten-man. The result was a model known as the "Green River", designed by Grand Canyon outfitter Ron Smith and Rubber Fabricators Company manager Del Mosser. The Green River had several advantages over the ten-man surplus raft. Instead of heavy canvas, it was built with lighter weight nylon, and its overall design was a blunt-nosed symmetrical shape, with a slight uplift at each end. It also had larger tubes and more inflation compartments than the surplus model.
Refinements in river rafts continued. Hypalon was developed as a more durable coating than neoprene. Designs also improved, with bow and stern lift becoming more pronounced. Chafing strips were added to the top and bottom of the raft to protect against rubbing of the rowing frame and abrasion from rocks and river beds. Developments in raft materials and design continued further. Polyester and Kevlar (TM) are the most recently used fabrics, and the newest coatings include polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane. These improvements in materials have led to more sophisticated designs, including boat rigidity and tighter floors.
One of the more novel raft designs to hit the river has been patterned after the catamaran. Adapted to river running, this design consists of inflatable tubes used either in pairs with an open center or lashed together to form a mattress-like platform. The tubes of the catamaran raft may be of two different types, either "sausage" tubes or the upward-pointing "J"-tubes. For years, several commercial outfitters on the Colorado River, and especially in the Grand Canyon, have used the "J"-tube model, with lengths ranging from 21 to 33 feet, while the smaller sausage-tube is used commercially on both the California and Oregon Rivers.
Two smaller catamaran rafts, sometimes known in the West as the Cataraft and the Huck Finn, are excellent for the private river runner. The spider-like Cataraft uses two tubes connected with a frame, but with the center open. The Huck Finn, reminiscent of Mark Twain's legendary character, is assembled by lashing four tubes closely together with a metal rowing frame and nylon webbing straps. Any size tubes may be used, but the most common are those ranging from 13-15 feet.
Both the Huck Finn and the Cataraft offer several advantages over conventional rafts. The foremost advantage, of course, is the self-bailing feature, which prevents the raft from becoming filled with water and possibly "wrapping" around a boulder. Because the rafts eliminate the need for bailing and are impossible to swamp, they offer greater safety. Unlike other rafts, they cannot be filled with great quantities of water and rendered sluggish. The Cataraft is a sport raft, as it gives a fast, thrilling ride. This raft is especially ideal for rocky rivers, where the chance of hitting rocks is reduced 50% because the Cataraft straddles them. When penned against a rock or Canyon wall, the upstream tube of traditional raft may be forced under water. The Cataraft, however, allows the water to pour through its open center without causing an upset. To free the Cataraft when stuck broadside on a rock, the boater can work in the center space, which is much safer than going over the side as required with other rafts.
With the great amount of flotation it provides the Huck Finn is capable of heavy loads. It also protects passengers from rock bruises which can occur in conventional rafts if someone is thrown on the floor and a rock passes underneath.
In the past, rafts have been made of coated fabrics. The base fiber provides the material's strength and resistance to tearing, while the coating provides airtightness and abrasion resistance. Cotton canvas was used as the base fiber in World War II assault rafts, but it was soon replaced by nylon. Nylon is still the most popular fabric, but polyester and Kevlar (TM) are increasingly used for their strength and stiffness. As for coatings, neoprene was the standard for many years, but has recently been displaced by the more durable, and also more expensive, Hypalon, a product of DuPont. Newer coatings have also appeared, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane. The typical combinations of base fibers and coatings include: nylon/neoprene, nylon/Hypalon, polyester/PVC, and Kevlar (TM)/polyurethane. The technology of material used in rafts has been improving throughout the years. As with all materials, the various materials used on rafts are subject to various quality and cost considerations.
For commercial river runners, it is important that the consumer be afforded an enjoyable, yet safe, ride. Commercial river runners have found that the ride is most enjoyable when a great deal of spray occurs and when the ride is very fast. Times of sluggish movement through the water offer an uninresting ride for the passenger. Additionally, the efforts required to oar the boat through sluggish water are a tremendous burden on the oarsman. As such, it is desirable to have the raft perform quickly in fast water and be suitable for far more streamlined movement in slow water.
In commercial river running operations, the access point to the river can often be in a remote location. Additionally, the cost of transport of the raft to the river is an important consideration. In those circumstances where the raft is bulky and cumbersome, a great deal of labor is required to transport the raft to the river. As such, it is desirable to have a river raft which may be contained within a small volume and be suitable for easy transportation. It is also important to have the ability to assemble to raft at the water's edge.
Given the high levels of insurance for those operating river running services, it is also very desirable to offer a safe ride to the passenger. It is desirable to build a raft that is very safe and difficult to capsize. To succeed in the river running business, the river runner, in the past, has had to balance the considerations of safety against those of providing thrilling rides.
A river raft having the characteristics of fast movement, stability, and strength is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 322,292, filed on March 13, 1989, and entitled "River Raft". The subject of this patent application was the invention of the present inventor. In this application, a river raft is described that utilizes a first solid pontoon having a hollow interior and a second solid pontoon having a hollow interior. These pontoons are made by utilizing roto-molded plastic material. A plurality of crossmembers extend through these solid pontoons so as to maintain the pontoons in spaced relationship. A central area suitable for accommodating coolers and ice chests, for providing the foothold for the oarsman is also included in the design of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 322,292. The design of the river raft of this application is a superior improvement of previous river rafts. However, for particular purposes, it can be difficult to transport such a raft having solid pontoons and a rigid frame.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a river raft that is very stable in water.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a river raft that moves quickly in water and is easily maneuverable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a river raft that is relatively inexpensive.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a river raft that can be disassembled, collapsed, and stored in a small volume.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a river raft that is adaptable to a wide range of uses, and adaptable to a varying number of passengers.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.